I Do Like You, Sheldon
by nerdland
Summary: Sheldon realizes that he needs friends, but it can be too late. The one person who stood beside him was the only person he could never imagine that would.


They were sitting on the couch, from left to right: Raj, Howard and Sheldon. Leonard was sitting on the armchair and Penny was making a sandwich in the kitchen. Star Trek was on and the guys couldn't even turn their heads to look at Penny, who was wearing a tiny, tiny dress. They were too busy paying attention to Captain Kirk's decisions and Spock's flawless accuracy on solving logical issues. But that ok, Penny was used to that. At least Howard wasn't hitting on her, and that was a great thing.

"Oh, snap!", said Raj, when Kirk gave the Klingon's Leader a dirty look. "That is one annoying Klingon, but Kirk knows just how to get rid of him..."

"Oh, yeah! And how about that part when Spock was trying to explain to Kirk how he should talk to women, according to the Vulcan and Kirk said that he didn't need advice... that was epic!"

"Sshhhuuusshhh! How am I suppose to listen what McCoy is going to say if you keep chatting like this?!"

"Relax, Sheldon. It's a rerun. You know they're all gonna be rescued and the Enterprise will be safe again", Leonard tried to calm him down.

"Never the less, I want to hear every single word. That's why I bought the DVD. But if you guys keep talking, I'll have to ask you to leave."

"But I live here!", said Leonard.

"I don't care."

Everyone stayed in an awkward silence until the episode was over. Sheldon got up, triumphant, and walked to the kitchen to do the dishes. He had a nasty smile on his face.

"Why does he always has to be so rude?", asked Howard, still sitting in the living room.

"I don't know, dude. Maybe it's because he's an annoying little bitch."

"Don't be so cruel, Raj. Yes, he sometimes can be a pain in the ass, but that's just who he is and we have to accept him.", Leonard was always sticking up for Sheldon.

"No, no... I have to agree with Raj.", said Penny, then she took a bite from her peanut butter sandwich.

The smile Sheldon had on his face was starting to disappear. His almost Vulcan hearing made him aware of what his so called "friends" thought of him. At first, he knew it would make no difference for him if they liked him of not, after all, they were inferior minds while he was a genius.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud "Goodbye from Penny and Leonard. "Oh yes.", Sheldon thought. "Leonard sleeping at Penny's, the whole apartment just for me... it's really going to be perfect.". But then he started to remember what they all said about him. About not really enjoying his company. About him being and annoying little _bitch. _And when those thoughts entered his mind, he didn't feel so good. Suddenly, he realized that being completely alone was good, but having friends who enjoyed being with him was even better. And he just couldn't have both.

Raj and Howard were still watching TV. Sheldon had finished doing the dishes and he sat down on his spot. He didn't say a word.

"Oh, look, she's the hot alien chick I told you about.", said Howard, pointing at the TV screen.

Raj automatically looked at Sheldon, expecting a nasty "sshhuuushh". But Sheldon stayed quiet, staring at the TV. He was trying to be nice, once he learned that his friends' opinions had a huge affect on his well-being.

"Aren't you going to 'sshhuuuushh' me? Aren't you going to say that everything I say is useless and dumb?" Sheldon had never seen Howard speak so nervously.

"Dude, take it easy.", Raj was worried about his friends getting into a fight. He knew how Sheldon reacted to fights, even if he wasn't involved.

"Take it easy? You were the one who just called him an annoying little _bitch_. I'm not gonna 'take it easy'. Not tonight.", Howard was getting more and more nervous. "I've had it!".

"Sheldon, I'm sure he didn't mean that...", Raj tried unsuccessfully to end the fight.

"Oh, yeah, I meant that!".

Sheldon gave one last look at Howard and ran off to his room. He couldn't take that anymore. He couldn't take his friend saying that about him.

Howard noticed that right before Sheldon head to his room, he was about to cry, his eyes where full of tears. That's when it hit him. He was too harsh. A mixture of regret and sympathy filled Howard's heart and then he realized it was too late. Sheldon was already hurt.

"See what you've done?", said Raj. "He wasn't supposed to know I said those things about him."

"What do I do now? I can't just go in there and say I'm sorry. You'll have to go in there with me!"

"I'd love to stay a little longer, but I'm sorry. My father is going to stay here for a couple of days and I have to pick him up at the airport. By the way, Sheldon's a big boy. He will get over it."

"Wait! You can't leave me here alone with ...", but before he could finish his sentence, Raj has already left. Howard turned off the TV and he could hear Sheldon crying from across the apartment. Oh, no! What would he do?

He thought about going home and never talking about this again. Everything would go back to normal. Sheldon would still be annoying and no one would remember this fight even happened. But he just couldn't leave his friend like that. He just couldn't.

Wolowitz carefully walked through the hallway and knocked on Sheldon's bedroom door. A few seconds later, he heard Sheldon say that he didn't want anyone entering his room. Howard tried again.

"Come on... let me in! I have to talk to you."

"No! Go away!"

Against Sheldon's will, Howard opened the door and found his friend sitting on his bed, crying. The lights were off, except his night-light. But there was enough light to see that Sheldon's eyes were red and he had some used napkins laying around him.

"You're not supposed to enter my room! I didn't give you my permission. Get out!"

Howard stood by the bed, staring at Sheldon. He'd never seen him like that. Actually, it was the first time he saw his human side. He found out that Sheldon was a normal person with feelings and emotions. Howard knew Sheldon for three years and he'd never seen any evidence that Sheldon was a human being. Until that night.

"What do you want?", cried Sheldon.

"I... I just... I just wanted to say... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being to insensitive. I'm sorry about all those horrible things I told you.", Howard was afraid to make the situation even worse.

"No... no! You don't have to apologize. Apparently, you're not the only one who doesn't like me." and Sheldon blew his nose on one of the napkins laying on the bed.

"But... you have to understand that sometimes....", he wanted to say 'always', but he didn't want to crush Sheldon even harder. "... you are... obnoxious"

Sheldon stopped crying for a moment and looked into Howard's blue eyes. "I'll never have real friends, will I?"

"What are you talking about? How about me, Leonard and Koothrappali, huh? Even Penny considers herself your friend."

"I know, but... you guys don't like me. Usually, I wouldn't mind that. I'm smarter than all of you combined, I'd never need your help. But now I feel like it's affecting me.

"I do like you, Sheldon. The thing is... sometimes you make it hard to do so. You think you're so superior, and that's not the truth. Each one of us has flaws and qualities, and that's what makes us so special an irreplaceable."

"I guess you're right, even though Leonard, Rajesh and I have a PhD, and you don't."

"You see?! That's what I'm talking about. How can you expect me to enjoy your company when you're constantly hurting my feelings?"

"Telling the truth hurts your feelings. Well, I'm sorry then. I had no idea.", said Sheldon and Howard knew he really didn't mean to hurt him.

"I forgive you, I know that's just who you are. And I'm sorry I said those things. I really didn't think you were gonna take it so seriously."

Sheldon looked at him like a dog looks to its owner. He was vulnerable, he had nothing to hide. He had lost his pride and his dignity. All he wanted was a friend. And a hug.

"Do you forgive me?", asked Howard.

"Ok... I suppose I can give our friendship a second chance."

"Wait... did you say... our friendship?", Howard couldn't believe it. Sheldon had finally admitted he was Howard's _friend_.

"Yes... that's what I said... do you need a cotton swab? I just bought some last time I went...", and before Sheldon could finish what he was saying, Howard hugged him like no one ever did before.

It was a true hug, a friend's hug. He could feel Howard's heart beating fast and he assumed he was either having a heart attack due to a heroine addiction or he was plain happy, filled with joy. And even though Sheldon couldn't tell human emotions apart, he knew it was the ladder. And the only reason Sheldon knew it, was because he was feeling that too. He now truly knew what having a friend was like.

After that long, warm hug, they stayed there talking about the last Star Trek episode. They found out they had more in common than they could ever imagine. The only reason because they weren't so close, it was because they hadn't given each other a chance.

Howard had to go now, but before he left, he hugged Sheldon again and said:

"I'll never forget this night. The night you became my friend."

"The night I knew for sure, that under those really tight pants and terrifying turtle necks, there's a really nice guy who can actually discuss about Star Trek and spaceship engineering and don't sound like a total idiot.", said Sheldon, trying to be as friendly as possible."

Howard waved his friend good-bye and took the stairs. Sheldon was rolled up on his covers and stayed there, in total chock, reminiscing about the events that had occurred that night.

"The acquaintance was the first one to greet me.", he thought, walked to his room, laid in bed and fell asleep.


End file.
